The return of former WBC heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder is no longer speculative. It was confirmed on Friday, with Wilder set to face Derek Chisora on April 4 at London’s O2 Arena.
A few years ago, this would have been treated as a routine assignment for Wilder. That version of him is gone. He enters the fight having lost four of his last six outings, and the decline has been hard to ignore.
The timing is slower. The balance is less secure. The confidence that once turned short openings into sudden knockouts is gone. At 40, Wilder is no longer operating from a position of control, and this fight exists because the risk now runs both ways.
Chisora comes from a different place. At 42, he has remained active and competitive rather than quietly fading away. Wins over Joe Joyce, Gerald Washington, Otto Wallin and Kubrat Pulev have kept him around in a division struggling for reliable heavyweights.
At this stage of his career, Chisora is not chasing titles. That window is closed. He chases fights that still demand something from him, and Wilder fits that description.
The fight will headline the first show promoted by MF Pro and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN. Promotional talk lent itself to nostalgia, but the reality is more immediate. It is not about revisiting previous status. It’s about seeing how much is left..
Wilder still possesses that eraser of a right hand, and Chisora has never met a piece he didn’t like. It makes for a compelling sell, but it also highlights the crossroads both men face.
Wilder can’t control the distance like he used to, and Chisora is still willing to walk through fire, even if the cost is high. Both of these 40-something heavyweights are near the end of the line. This is one of those toss-up matches between two older fighters that could go either way.
Click here to subscribe to our FREE newsletter
Related Boxing News:
Last updated on 30/01/2026
